{"id":1161,"date":"2020-01-02T21:01:13","date_gmt":"2020-01-02T22:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malvinartley.com\/blog.malvinartley.com\/?p=1161"},"modified":"2020-01-20T12:42:10","modified_gmt":"2020-01-20T13:42:10","slug":"the-great-australian-fires-of-2019-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malvinartley.com\/blog.malvinartley.com\/2020\/01\/02\/the-great-australian-fires-of-2019-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great Australian Fires of 2019\/2020 (updated at end)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia is currently undergoing its largest bush fires in its short national history, which can also be seen as a very serious illness. An \u2018illness\u2019 you say? Probably the most widespread fires in its recorded history is an \u2018illness\u2019!? In fact, yes. And this is not downplaying what is happening there. As of this writing (2 Jan) there have been 18 fatalities (updated below), but the total land swept by the fires is 5,900,000 hectares (22,780 square miles), an area almost equal to the states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut combined. We will look at the factors contributing to the fires here, but before we start, we also pray for a swift end to them, and hold our support for the families who have lost their homes, livelihoods and loved ones.<\/span><\/p>\n

The last time we saw fires this bad in Oz was in 2009, with the Black Saturday fires. I was living there then, and those were indeed terrible. The loss of human life in those fires was far greater than these, but the land mass was not nearly as great. What we are seeing with the present fires are the symptoms of the coming together of many factors, which we examine later in this piece. But first, a bit of background<\/a><\/span>:<\/span><\/p>\n

The ongoing 2019\u201320 Australian bushfire season is already the most destructive bushfire season since the 2008\u201309 Australian bushfires and the most widespread in history, having already burned over 5,900,000 hectares of land, destroyed over 2,500 buildings (including over 1300 homes) and killed at least 18 people [28 as of 20 Jan]. From November, it heavily impacted various regions of New South Wales, such as, the North Coast, Mid North Coast, the Hunter Region, the Hawkesbury and the Wollondilly in Sydney’s far west, the Blue Mountains, Illawarra and the South Coast, with more than 100 fires burnt across the state, and as well as Eastern Victoria. Moderately affected areas were South Eastern Queensland, southern South Australia, and southwestern Western Australia, with a few areas in Tasmania being mildly impacted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Coupled with the preceding, Australia has recently baked<\/a><\/span> under record temperatures, with Adelaide having recorded a temperature of just over 46\u00b0 (115\u00b0 F) over several days. In the 19 years I lived in Adelaide the temperature never went over 42\u00b0 (107\u00b0 F). This has been in the absence of an El Ni\u00f1o, which usually brings such heat. Instead, this heat wave was caused by<\/a><\/span> \u201can unusual sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event also added to the hot dry conditions by shifting the westerly winds, which usually lurk over the Southern Ocean, up onto the continent.\u201d In addition, there has been an extended drought, which has worsened fire conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Climate change has been blamed, at least in part, for the severity of the fires, brought on by the higher temperatures and the extended drought periods. With the elevated temperatures this year \u00a0\u2013 and we have not even gone into February, the hottest month of the year in Oz \u00a0\u2013 there is no doubt shifts in the climate have been a big factor in the fires, but the high temperatures and drought are not unprecedented<\/a><\/span>. Higher temperatures cause the volatile oils in the vegetation, especially gum trees, to vaporize quicker, adding to the great heat of the fires, as well as rendering dry vegetation into kindling. But there is actually nothing new in severe fires in Australia\u2019s history. Aussies know well the names \u2018Black Saturday\u2019, \u2018Ash Wednesday\u2019, \u2018Black Tuesday\u2019 and so forth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before these fires, the worst fires in total area and loss of life in recorded history in Oz<\/span><\/a> were the Black Thursday fires of 1851, which rivalled the extent of the present fires and killed over a million sheep and cattle. We cannot blame climate change on that one. There must be other reasons. The absolute largest fires in area were in 1974\/75, which burnt a total of 15% of Australia, but those were in central Oz and were barely noticed until satellite data revealed the extent after the fact. Ten years ago, the Black Saturday fires in Victoria killed 175 people, but covered a far smaller area, for perspective. So, although these fires are large, they are not as fatal to human life as some of the previous ones, though the animal life has been decimated in the affected areas. The photos of affected animals have been heartbreaking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Probably the main reason for large catastrophic fires, aside from prolonged drought and high temperatures, is a lack of land management, with overgrowth not being cut back, with people moving into fire-prone areas (as in the Adelaide Hills, for instance) and not paying attention to vegetation close to houses, and then being careless with fire and equipment or ignoring fire warnings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ignoring fire warnings? Bloody idiot!<\/span><\/p>\n

Before the Europeans landed, the aboriginals knew how to manage the land and keep the big fires from happening, but even that has not prevented large fires from happening. Australia is one of the three most fire-prone areas in the world. From a previous link, additional causes for bushfires include lightning, arcing from overhead power lines, arson, accidental ignition in the course of agricultural clearing, grinding and welding activities, campfires, cigarettes and dropped matches, sparks from machinery, and controlled burn escapes.<\/span><\/p>\n

As to the factor of arson, it is an uncomfortable fact that there are people who get a thrill out of setting such fires, with a dozen such people about to be charged<\/a><\/span> for the present fires in New South Wales alone \u2013 one of them<\/a><\/span> a young volunteer firefighter. Further, from the penultimate article:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026the majority of fires currently scorching the state [NSW] were started by lighting, or embers spread from those fires \u2014 but\u2026individuals\u2019 negligence in respecting total fire bans when holding barbecues and going camping, was not insignificant when compared with arson.<\/span><\/p>\n

And as well:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026at least 56 people have already been charged or cautioned with 71 bushfire-related offences since August, with 16 ongoing investigations into suspicious fires, including a blaze that threatened the rim of suburban Sydney in South Turramurra, on Sydney\u2019s Upper North Shore, on November 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

With all the preceding in mind, what do we see with the present astrology of Australia, and why call the present situation an \u2018illness\u2019? We start with the chart of Australia, using the \u2018swearing-in chart<\/a><\/span>\u2019 at Sydney, below (bigger<\/a><\/span>):<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We cannot judge from a national chart whether or not a nation is naturally<\/em> fire-prone. That would require a chart for a region, which would be very ancient. Instead, what we see in the Aussie national chart is a proclivity for man-made disasters, with the midpoints shown to the left of the Ascendant. The Australian national chart goes to the statement about illness at the beginning of this piece, which will be outlined below. <\/span><\/p>\n

Aries rising can contribute to carelessness, with an attitude of \u201cShe\u2019ll be right, mate!\u201d It can also indicate arson, with Mars, its ruler, being a central planet in the midpoint trees. A quick look at those midpoints is revealing, with regard to arson and accidents:<\/span><\/p>\n